Chinese satellite internet connects the poles and the Tibetan Plateau for the first time

Beijing announced the success of the polar icebreaker "Jidi" in testing the Chinese satellite internet system, which connected the Arctic, Antarctic, and the Tibetan Plateau for the first time. The tests demonstrated stable video communication and the ability to provide low-latency global connectivity, also supporting telemedicine services and ocean data transmission.

Beijing announced yesterday, Tuesday, the success of the polar icebreaker "Jidi" in conducting application tests for the domestically developed satellite internet system along navigation routes in the Arctic. The experiments, for the first time, tested communications via a network linking the Arctic, Antarctic, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the Earth's "third pole." The expedition, organized by China's Ministry of Natural Resources, began on July 3 of last year. During the tests, a video call was made between the icebreaker in the Arctic, the Qinling Station in Antarctica, the test station on the Lhasa River in the Tibet Autonomous Region, and a ministry office in the coastal city of Qingdao in eastern China. The team reported that audio and video quality were clear and stable. The tests demonstrated the network's ability to provide low-latency, high-bandwidth global communications and tested its stability under harsh environmental conditions. The voyage also saw the first use of the local system to support medical services in polar regions, as the icebreaker conducted high-definition video medical consultations with hospitals in Qingdao. The Chinese-made ocean buoy "Chigan" was tested, allowing Chinese equipment full control over data collection and transmission. Zhang Meng, a member of the expedition team, said the icebreaker sent and received over 300 files, totaling more than 100 gigabytes of data, and supported over 40 video consultation sessions. He added that the experiments helped reduce the information isolation faced by polar expeditions.